Safety seat grip



Sept. 6, 1932.

K. KARPEN SAFETY SEAT GRI P Filed Jan. 7, 1951 fivenzar,

Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT o FlcE- KING KARPEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO S. KARPEN & B

TION OF VIRGINIA SAFETY SEAT GRIP Application filed January 7, 1931.

5. vide a seat grip of simple and staunch construction which will prevent injury to passengers through the sudden stopping or starting of vehicles, such as railways, street cars,

buses, etc. A further object is to provide a seat grip adapted to be readily secured to car or bus seats and which afl'ords a comfortable and safe grip for passengers, who desire to stand in the aisle of the vehicle. Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is fully described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car seat equipped with a grip constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a broken sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a perspective view of a modified form of grip adapted to be secured to a different form of car seat back; and Fig. 4 is a broken sectional 'view of another modified form of grip handle.

In the illustration given, A represents a car or bus seat which comprises standards A a seat A and a back A and B represents a grip handle which is preferably secured to the upper portion of the seat back. 7

The seat A may be of any suitable shape or type. The back may have a rounded top corner, as shown in Fig. 1, a cut-away corner, as shown in Fig. 3, or any other suitable shape.

The handle grip B may be formed in any suitable shape so that it may fit the corner or surface to which it is to be applied. In the illustration given, the grip B is provided with a shank or extension flange 10 which may be used to attach the handle to a chair back. It is also preferred to equip the handle grip with an upper attachment flange 11. Both flanges are preferably formed integrally with the main body of the grip. The main body of the grip comprises a relatively wide top web 12 and a depending web 13. In the preferred form illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the web 12 is widest near its central portion and tapers Serial No. 507,266.

flange or web 13 is preferably formed integrallywith the web 12 and extends practically 30s., A oonronn. 3..

inwardlytoward the flanges 10 and 11. The

all the way from the web 12 to the top corner portion of the chair. In this way, the web 13 substantially closes the opening between the outer web 12 and back, 1 I v In the modification shown in Fig 3, the shape of the handle grip is modified so as to adaptit to a chair having a cut-away corner.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, two depending flanges 14 are used instead of the single flange or web 13.

With the handle grips now in use upon railway chairs and bus seats, etc., there is provided between the outer web of the handle and the top of the chair back a relatively large opening through which the passenger may extend his fingers or hand. With this form of grip, a large number of accidents have occurred in which the fingers, hands, and wrists of passengers have been injured. The tendency is for a passenger to extend his fingers or hand through the opening of the grip and then when thrown by the sudden or abrupt stopping or starting of the bus,'etc., to be unable to extricate his hand in time to prevent injury. I have found that such accidents can be avoided by'equipping chairs or seats with grip handles having a wide top web and a partition web or flange extending from the inner wall of the top web to the top of the chair back. The wide top web forms a rest for the palm of the hand and the fingers the top wall of the chair may extend about the flange to form a secure grip; The grip is not only more comfortable but also it prevents the passenger from getting his hand caught beneath the top flange of the. Qt

\ ample room for the fingers on one side of the flange and for the thumb on the opposite side of the flange.

While I have illustrated the handle grip in certain forms and shapes, it is obvious that the shape, form and other details of construction, may be varied Widely without departing from my invention. V

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clea-rness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claim should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

I claim: a

In combination: a seat equipped with a back, a grip-handle equipped with attachment flange extensions, said grip-handle comprising a top webhaving a central portion of relatively wide cross-section and end-portions of relatively narrow cross-section, said end-portions tapering toward and merging with said attachment flanges, and a depending flange partition joining said top web along a longitudinal median line.

KING KARPEN; 

